An Open Letter to Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of the Interim Government of Bangladesh: After 18 months under the leadership of an interim government, we, the Human Rights Foundation, along with @activate_rights, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher Ahmedur Chowdhury, @article19org, @FortifyRights, @forum_asia, and @hrssbd call on @Yunus_Centre to ensure that the upcoming elections, slated to take place on Feb. 12, remains free and fair.

In August 2024, student-led protests calling for widespread change succeeded in ousting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after 15 continuous years in power, despite a violent state crackdown.

Effective avenues for redress are essential for victims of the violent crackdown on protesters in 2024, as well as for those who suffered for more than a decade under Hasina’s regime of enforced disappearances, torture, extrajudicial killings, and other grave violations tantamount to crimes against humanity.

However, the limited government oversight since the transition has fueled a resurgence of fundamentalism and intolerance toward religious and ethnic minorities, as well as of continued harassment and violence against journalists. The lack of accountability for perpetrators of a recent killing of a Hindu man has contributed to an environment of fear that could hinder minority communities’ participation in the elections.

We urge you to protect and promote press freedom, which is a cornerstone of democratic governance, and to uphold universal standards of due process and fair trials to set a new precedent of justice and institutional accountability in Bangladesh. Read the full statement.